Action Man is set in a world where Alex Action Man Mann must stop the evil Dr. X from falling into his clutches once again. The player takes control of Action Man as they travel through seven different levels, ranging from jungles to the Arctic, battling an army of robots with various weapons and battle suits in search of Base X.
The gameplay is a standard side-scrolling action platformer where the player advances throughout the level, destroying enemies and avoiding pit falls. Along the way, they can pick up more powerful guns as well as a bow and arrow, and even different suits that can help them on their quest. Players can find these weapons and suits by taking different paths throughout the levels.